Witness an uncompromising portrait of a young man's initiation into a men's secret society. It begins with the elder griot and praise singer talking about the origins of the "Owu" society. Two keepers of tradition, the griot and the town's oldest woman and female griot, Ezenwanyi (Leader of Women), narrate this film continuing their role as commentators in the life of the village. Owu explores the pluralistic lives of Africans as they come up against westernized Christian influence. Many significant rituals are filmed for the first time. The program shows respect for the subject's traditions.